Water for Elephants

I read Water for Elephants over a two years ago when I went on vacation.  It engrossed me from the beginning (not only because it was about elephants, which I love) because the story is a mystery, a love story, and an action story all rolled into one.

I am thinking about this book recently because of the movie that is coming out about it and how I think that the two actors they chose for the main characters were a) odd choices alone, b) odd choices together, and c) not very believable as romantic interests.  For me, part of it is knowing that Robert Pattinson is at least 10 years younger than her and the other part is knowing that he is Edward from Twilight and I don't know if I will ever be able to see him as anything more than that.  Bummer.

Oh well, he's a young actor so hopefully he will get better at acting (I hope so, because it's kind of his job) and not just play the same sulky character that he usually does.

What has also got me to thinking about this book is that in exactly four days I will be watering my own elephants!  That's right, I will be living with elephants this weekend which is pretty much my life dream.  I will have stories and pictures to follow once I am (sadly) back!

P.S. My dislike of Robert Pattinson may or may not stem from the fact that he got to play with elephants while shooting this movie... no, I clearly don't hold irrational grudges against people I hardly know!

Golden Compass Synopsis and Critique

The Golden Compass. ISBN 978-0-440-23813-3. Phillip Pullman. 1995. Ages 12+.  Alternate Universe.  Scholarly England.

Synopsis
The Golden Compass is the first installment in Phillip Pullman's trilogy about the young Lyra Belacqua, her daemon Pan, and their journey to the north to save the children of England from the Gobblers who are trying to cut away the daemons from the child. She is raised by the scholars at Oxford and occasionally sees her uncle Asriel, before he is imprisoned. Lyra is entrusted with a golden compass and throughout her journey she uses it to steer her in the right direction.  In the end, Lyra is able to save her friend Roger from the Gobblers, however she also learns the true reason behind Asriel's imprisonment and that he is not to be trusted.

Critique
Pullman's story is extremely well-written and engaging.  It is a book for all age levels, and will lend itself well to middle and high school literature courses.  The story is very imaginative and Pullman does an excellent job creating a universe very similar to ours, yet different in very distinct ways. 

As the protagonist, Lyra is a very realistic rebellious and brash young girl, however as the story progresses the reader can see the growth and maturation she goes through in order to save her friend Roger and the other children abducted by the Gobblers.  Many students will find her boldness fascinating and might even see a little bit of their younger selves in her.  She's also very believable, even though she is facing daring odds throughout the book.  Pullman achieves her believability by setting up her personality very early on in the book so as not to throw doubt on her capability on her adventure.

Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter are the perfect antagonists, though throughout the most of the book it is unknown whether who is good and bad.  In the end, their motives are still ambiguous and their love for Lyra as their daughter is also questionable.  The mystery of their good or evilness is one of the questions that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the book.

I found everything about the book very enjoyable and can see using this with middle and high school students in a unit on fantasy/science fiction books.  It would be fun to have them compare and contrast our universe with Lyra's and to maybe even create the universe that Lyra walks into in the next book.  Older students could examine the politics in the book.

The Giver Synopsis and Critique

The Giver. ISBN 0-440-23768-8. Lois Lowry. 1993. Newberry Medal. Fantasy. Ages 11 +. Utopian/Dystopian Society.

Synopsis
A young boy, Jonas, lives in a futuristic, Utopian society where at the age of 12 children are given their assignments for what they will do as adults in the society.  Jonas is given the special assignment of the Receiver of Memories, which was only given out ten years before.  This means that he will study with The Giver who will give him the memories of civilization and the world.  As he progresses through his studies, Jonas begins to realize that the world he lives in is not quite the way it should be and sets out to find a better place for him and Gabriel, another child that has the ability to "see" like Jonas. 

Critique
Everything about this book is done well.  The writing is perfect for the age group, yet still enjoyable for older teens and adults.  Lowry creates a society that is believable, yet scary, but also still interesting to read.  As the protagonist, Jonas excels at being a child torn by duty to be the Receiver of Memories and also the heavy burden of knowledge that comes with it.  Students will be able to identify with the decisions that Jonas has to make while still being a child.  He knows more than the adults in his world and he cannot share this knowledge with anyone else.  He is alone in the world save for the Giver and Gabriel.

What I've always wondered about with this story is what truly happens at the end.  Are Jonas and Gabriel dying and the sled is their passage to heaven?  Or have they truly found refuge in a world that Jonas only knew of in his memories?  Or are they just freezing to death, hallucinating as they live their final moments?  What I look forward to most is to seeing students' interpretation of the ending and what they think happens to Jonas and Gabriel, and even the society from which they escaped.  I believe Lowry has written sequels to this book where the question of what happened to Jonas and Gabriel is answered, but I would still like to believe that the ending is ambiguous and that Lowry wants the reader to interpret as they please.


The Giver is a classic book commonly used in late elementary and middle school literature.  The story will lend itself to examining many different aspects of society.  It is a great book that would lead to discussions on politics and society and the way the world works.  Students can compare and contrast our society and Jonas'.  They can also examine the family dynamics and why and how it works the way it does.  They can also speculate as to why the world changed into being that way.  The Giver has a lot of open ended questions that will allow students to use their own imagination to answer them.

Number the Stars Synopsis and Critique

Number the Stars. ISBN 0395510600. Lowis Lowry. 1989. Newbery Medal. Ages 9-12. Danish Jewish & Caucasians.

Synopsis
Number the Stars is about the strong bond between two young friends and the trials they must both overcome during World War II in Nazi-occupied Denmark.  Annemarie and Ellen are best friends who live in the same apartment building.  In order to save her friend from being taken away like the other Danish Jews, Annemarie's family pretends Ellen is their daughter as well, and head out to the country with her uncle to hide from the Nazis.  Her uncle is actually helping Jews escape by hiding them in his boat and taking them across the water to Sweden.  When they all leave to go hide on the boat, an important part of making their plan successful is left behind and Annemarie must become brave in order to save her friends from harm.  In the end, she is successful and pertinent to her friend's safety and when the war is over she joyously awaits Ellen's return.


Critique
This book is a great book for younger readers.  It's great because it will teach students about World War II and the extermination of the Jews, while also being easy to read and understand.  It would be a great book to use to coincide with a Social Studies unit on World War II.  It would also bring up great discussions on the Holocaust and what students think about what happened.

The characters, plot and climax are all well-developed for this reading level.  Yet, it's still suitable for adults.  The two young girls, Annemarie and Ellen, are easy to relate to and the bond between them many students might find similar to their friendships.  Also, their relationship would help teach students what good friendships are and how to be a good friend to others.

The story progresses nicely and smoothly.  As adult it feels a little rushed, however to keep a younger reader engaged not as much detail and events need to be written about.  As already mentioned, the writing works well for this reading level.  Lowry establishes the relationships early on and gives the reader enough to understand their connection.  She also adds a little mystery with the part about Annemarie's older sister, which is gladly cleared up in the end.

Overall, I would most likely use this book for 5th or 6th graders, and possibly 7th graders.  I think it would even be appropriate as a read aloud for 4th graders.  I would have my students discuss and examine:

• World War II
• The Holocaust
• Religious Differences
• Friendship
• Bravery

 

The Latehomecomer Synopsis and Critique

The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir. ISBN 978-1-56689-208-7. Kao Kalia Yang. 2008. Minnesota Book Awards- Memoir & Creative Nonfiction and Reader’s Choice. Ages 13-up. Non-fiction memoir.  New American Hmong Immigrants.

Synopsis
This book follows the story of one family as it begins in war-torn Laos, make a dangerous journey to find refuge in Thailand, and eventually decides to begin a new life in America during the 1970s to the present.  The story is narrated by Kao Kalia Yang who begins her story with her parents and extended family members as they live in the forests of Laos.  She is born in a refugee camp in Thailand. She writes to remember her grandma and to keep the her ancestry alive.  It is a story of courage, tragedy, unconditional love, and the bonds of family.

This book is an excellent source to use in a unit about immigrant or foreign-nationals literature.  In today's world, many students might be able to identify with the travels and tragedy that the Yang family underwent to get where they are today.  Especially living in Minnesota, there is a high Hmong population that could probably relate to it.  It would also be a great book to introduce memoir writing, and it would help the students explore their own experiences.


Critique
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  I thought that I would be terribly bored reading it, however Yang's writing is almost magical.  I was amazed at how she was able to transport me to the humid and rainy jungles of Laos, to the dry, arid, desolate camps in Thailand, and to the beautifully frightening frozen world of Minnesota (granted, I live here, so that wasn't too much of a stretch).  Her words roll of your tongue and it is almost as if she has written an extended prose poem.  The language is beautifully lyrical and her story telling is steeped in mythology and folk-lore.  All of these elements come together to tell her love story of a young girl and her grandmother.

Yang's characters are well written and she shows their development over time.  Their development is also very true to life since she is writing about real people.  As the main character and narrator, it is engaging to watch Yang grow up.  She is brutally honest about her own faults, especially when it comes to her spoken English, and throughout the book the reader gets the sense of her creative and imaginative side through her lyric writing.  The book itself is a testament to her command of the written English language, but also to her creative and carefree spirit.

Her grandma is a main character and the main theme of the book.  She is the binding force of her family, and Kalia writes about her honest and true love and respect for her in such a beautiful way that anyone with a grandma would be able to identify with that strong love and bond that is unique to a grandmother and her grandchild. 

The struggle of the family, as a whole, is also very prominently displayed in this novel.  Being Hmong, Yang lives in a culture that believes in the good of the many over the good of the one.  In their world, you work together to raise your siblings and cousins, and Kalia even mentions that your aunts are your mother and your uncles your fathers, and even your cousins are your siblings.  It is a wonderful way for students to understand another culture, especially one that is so drastically different from the American culture.  It would be interesting to see if students notice this different and what they have to say about a collectivist, foreign family assimilating to the American way of life.  In America, it is every man, woman, and child for himself, we pride uniqueness and competition.  Everyone wants to be number one, but this book is a glimpse inside a life where what you want isn't always what you are going to get.  In one word this book shows sacrifice; sacrifice in the face of adversity and survival.

Overall, this book amazed me, and left me examining my own life and how different the life I have lived is from hers.  However, even though Kalia's family faced hardship, I'm sure if asked she would say she wouldn't have changed a thing about it.  

The Invention of Hugo Cabret Synopsis and Critique

The Invention of Hugo Cabret. ISBN 978-0-439-81378-5. Brian Selznick (Author & Illustrator). 2007. Caldecott Award. Age 10-13. White working class.

Synopsis
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a story about a young, orphaned boy fending for himself in 1930s France.  Taken in by his uncle after his father's death, he is soon abandoned again when his uncle fails to return one night.  He tends to the clocks in the train station, something his uncle taught him, and survives by stealing what he can.  His motivation for living is to restore the automaton that his father had found, in hopes that he will receive a message from his deceased father.  He is caught stealing toys from the toymaker in the train station, and from there Hugo's life takes an unexpected turn as he finds himself thrust deeper into the mystery of the automaton alongside a young girl named Isabelle.  Together they unravel the mystery of the automaton and the toymaker, Georges Melies (Papa Georges).  In the end, they help restore not only the automaton, but Georges Melies' confidence in his material as a magician and a filmmaker, and Hugo begins work as a magician and creator of his own automatons, as he is taken in by Papa Georges.

This book would be a good book to put in with a unit on books that have been turned into movies, or even just a unit about films.  It would also be interesting to watch some of the films directed by Georges Melies.  Students could also address and discuss the issue of loneliness and how Hugo handles being an orphan and taking on responsibilities outside his age level.  The language makes it ideal for early readers of young adult literature, and possibly even elementary aged children.

Critique
Though the storyline and plot are well-written, it is the pictures that carry this book and keep the reader captivated.  Brian Selznick's drawings are beautifully mastered and the way he draws a succession of pictures as if they are being zoomed in on with a camera is a very creative way to integrate the feeling of the book being a film.  As far as young adult literature goes, this book would definitely be for a younger audience with the simplicity of the language, structure and plot.  With all the pictures it is also a very short read, but the pictures would allow a younger audience to possibly be more interested in the characters and their stories.

The characters are well-written and each fills the role that they are meant for.  Hugo as the young protagonist and Isabelle as his wily sidekick.  From the beginning the reader can sense that Papa Georges isn't the true antagonist, and that deep down he is not as mean-hearted as he seems.  This adds to the mystery that Hugo and Isabelle decide to unlock together.

The plot moves smoothly, a little to quick for an adult, however this is written for a younger audience.  Events seem to unfold naturally and as the story progresses Hugo and Isabelle begin to realize how deeply intertwined the events have made them.  There is also some foreshadowing as to how the message from the automaton will help Hugo's life but not in the way he expected.  By the end of the story the reader is happy to discover that Hugo is able to find a loving family and fulfill his dream of being a magician and automaton maker. 

Synopsis: Big Mouth Ugly Girl and Godless

Big Mouth Ugly Girl.  ISBN 978-0-06-447347-7.  Joyce Carol Oates.  2002.  Ages 13-18.  Contemporary Realistic Fiction.  Caucasian youth.  Middle-class. Suburban.


Synopsis-Big Mouth Ugly Girl
Big Mouth Ugly Girl is about two teenagers from the same high school who become friends under demanding circumstances.  Matt Donaghy is accused of threatening to blow up the school and he finds an ally in a strange girl in his class named Ursula Riggs.  They both have alter egos that they use as an excuse for their actions and to hide their emotions; Matt's being "Big Mouth" and Ursula's being "Ugly Girl."  Ursula helps Matt deal with the false accusation, and eventually they both learn how to let go of their alter egos and they help find the real person responsible for the threats.

Students could watch movies and documentaries about Columbine and other school shootings and violence that have taken place.  This book would lead to lots of interesting discussions on violence and threats in school and what students and teachers can do to prevent those situations.  Students could also examine popularity and cliques and how that affects individuals as well as groups, and just the topic of friendships in general.



Godless.  ISBN1-4169-0816-1.  Pete Hautman.  Ages 13-18.  Contemporary Realistic Fiction.  Caucasion youth.  Middle-class.  Suburban.

Synopsis-Godless
Godless is about a teenage boy, Jason Bock, who one day decides to create his own religion that worships the water tower in his town.  He converts four of his friends and classmates to his new religion, however they each have their own motives for being there and their own ideas as to where they see this religion going.  Things turn deadly when they climb the water tower one night and one of them almost falls to his death.  Eventually, Jason has to accept his actions for getting his friends in trouble and endangering their lives, and he must deal with the fallout of where each of them takes their devoutness to this made-up religion.

A fun activity with students would be to have them create their own religion focused on something in their town.  It could lead to questions about religion and what it is and who makes the rules and where do the stories come from. It would also be a good book to examine how we are influenced by our friends and how we may react according to how we think they see us.